With new museums and riverfront projects, San Antonio is finding new ways to celebrate its international history…
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Category Archives: Restaurant
IQ in New York Magazine: San Antonio
Filed under Hotels, Publications, Restaurant, U.S.A.
Dutch Attitude at a Caribbean Latitude
The Dutch island of Curaçao invites you to experience European sophistication with Caribbean warmth.
Offering an enticing combination of Dutch Attitude at a Caribbean Latitude, Curaçao is emerging as one of the Caribbean’s most popular gay destinations. A rare island where tourists and locals effortlessly coexist, Curaçao imbues your tropical vacation with cultural authenticity.
Conveniently located outside the Hurricane Belt, Curaçao enjoys year-round 80-degree days with minimal rain, perfect for both beach and city escapes. To best experience the island’s diversity, the sister properties of Kura Hulanda (kurahulanda.com) offer the “Best of Both Worlds” Package. Spend two nights admiring the Dutch Colonial architecture of the island’s capital, while staying at the UNESCO World Heritage designated Hotel Kura Hulanda (Langestraat 8-Willemstad). This luxury boutique resort boasts glorious courtyards, multiple pools, restaurants, a spa and casino. Then, spend three nights perched on rugged cliffs overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, at the secluded Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club (Playa Kalki-Westpunt) on the island’s western tip. The Lodge’s onsite dive shop, Ocean Encounters West (oceanencounterswest.com), will complete your beach vacation by arranging snorkeling, diving, and boating excursions.
Planning your honeymoon? Both resorts are members of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association and are eager to celebrate New York’s recent Marriage Equality victory. Until December 22, they are offering newlyweds who present a valid New York marriage license a free upgrade and dinner for two.
All right, time to get a little sweaty and explore the island’s natural beauty. Hardcore hikers should head to Christoffel National Park (christoffelpark.org) where you can climb 1,240 feet to the top of Mt. Christoffel, the island’s highest point. On a clear day you can see the coasts of Venezuela and Bonaire. If you prefer a rough ride, then fasten your seatbelt because it’s going to be a bumpy one. Eric’s ATV Adventures (curacao-atv.com) will take you through the wildest and most beautiful parts of Curaçao, including cliffs, dunes, caves and beyond.
Next, explore the tasty variety of Curaçao’s cuisine. Located about a mile from the Lodge Kura Hulanda, Landhuis Misjé (landhuismisje.com) serves up Caribbean comfort food with a sophisticated flair. Clearly stating her “100% gay friendly” policy on the restaurant website, Chef Graciela Real will make you feel right at home serving a unique fusion of the island’s Latin, Dutch and Caribbean influences in the lantern-lit yard of this restored plantation home. Want to recreate the island’s flavor back home? Learn the necessary skills at Angelica’s Kitchen (Hoogstraat 49-Willemstad, angelicas-kitchen.com) Caribbean cooking class. The ladies of the Kitchen will teach you how to make delicious “no fuss food” in a relaxed, festive setting. Drink, cook, eat and bond with a group of old friends or favorite new acquaintances. For a tasty Mojito or Caipirinha, head to the Latin-inspired café and bar Mundo Bizarro (Nieuwestraat 12-Pietermaai, mundobizarrocuracao.com). Part restaurant, part live music venue, Mundo is a perfect spot to socialize with the locals.
Want to make a splash? Curaçao will be dripping with cocktail, beach, and boat parties from September 30-October 2, when it kicks off the 7th annual Get Wet gay party weekend. Year round, Madame Jeanette “aims to make being Lesbian, Gay, Transgendered, Bisexual or just confused a perfectly normal thing to be, one Party at a time!” The island’s hostess with the mostest throws her extravagant theme parties on the second Saturday of every month at TuTu Tango (Kaya Jombi Mensing 18-Willemstad, tutu-tango.com). For information on all upcoming events and parties, visit GayCuracao.com.
Less than a three-hour flight from the U.S., Curaçao provides a taste of Northern Europe in the Southern Caribbean. Trade your wooden shoes for a pair of sandals and enjoy the island’s “Live and Let Live” progressive attitude—with a tan!
(This article originally appeared in Next Magazine)
Filed under Caribbean, Gay, Hotels, Publications, Restaurant
Puerto Vallarta Gets Tastier
If variety is the spice of life, gay Vallarta just got tastier. Casa Cupula (http://www.casacupula.com), the decidedly upscale, boutique gay hotel in Puerto Vallarta, has opened its new restaurant Taste to the public. Perched on a secluded hillside, overlooking the Bay of Banderas, Taste is all about options. Choose to dine in the newly redesigned intimate dining room or under the sunshine/moonlight on the adjoining terrace.
What are you hungry for? Taste is prepared to satisfy all your culinary cravings— serving a sampling of Mexican, American, Asian and South American cuisine, available in both entrée and tapas (or “taste”) sized portions. With options including Shrimp Stuffed Ancho Peppers, Lamb Lollipops, Chicken Curry Samosas and Traditional Peruvian Ceviche, “you can Taste your way around the world in one meal, perfect for people on vacation who can’t return frequently,” says restaurant manager Erick Martinez.
Also, for the first time, the Sunday Mimosa Brunch previously enjoyed exclusively by hotel guests, is now open to everyone. The casa will keep the bubbles flowing, while you chat with old friends or make new ones at the community dining table. Afterwards, you are invited to work on your tan poolside while Casa Cupula hosts its weekly Sunday Pool Party for the boys (and girls) of Puerto Vallarta.
*This article was originally published in Out Traveler:
Filed under Gay, Mexico, Publications, Restaurant
Puerto Vallarta: Mexico’s Premier Gay Destination
Traveling IQ is published in EDGE
Bay of Banderas, Puerto Vallarta
Doomsday predictions, economic woes and natural disasters got you down? Take a breath, relax and try to remember that you will never be as young as you are right now. So stop texting, disconnect the Blue Tooth, and activate your “Out of Office” reply. It’s time for a well-deserved break in a place where Blackberries are fruits, nothandhelds; and handholding a fruit is a Public Display of Affection not a Personal Digital Assistant. Welcome to Puerto Vallarta!
Click on the picture below to read the full article, published in EDGE
Filed under Gay, Mexico, Publications, Restaurant
Halsted Holla!
Photo by Jason Paul Smith
Wow. Boo! Wow. Chicagoans can really howl on Halloween! I’m sure experiencing it as a tourist helped, but last year’s Halsted Halloween Parade was a scary good time. In New York, I would never dream of standing in the cold October night of the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade—the crowds, the noise, the fear that at any moment the festivities could spiral into catastrophe.
Halloween can often feel like amateur hour. It is the one night regular folk get to be actors, drag queens or whores—or all three! Hiding behind a costume frees people to express themselves beyond their regular comfort level. Add a few shots, puffs, snorts (or what have you) and your tale can end with soaring fireworks or an explosive burn. Lucky for Matt and me, visiting Chicago last Halloween proved to be a blast.
Our night started as voyeurs along the parade route. After the ample helping of Halloween fluff, we were ready for a little sustenance. One of the two tables actually eating at Firefly, we inhaled one of the best macaroni and cheeses I’ve ever had, as the rest of the packed restaurant enjoyed prancing around, drinking, chatting, and watching the parade from the windows. As we were not in costume, checking out the scantily clad Chippendale boys and sexy Dorothys (who I knew hadn’t eaten all week) while stuffing our faces with burgers and the aforementioned cheesy deliciousness, was especially satisfying.
With full bellies and happy hearts we joined our friend Kevin who, over the next three hours, took it upon himself to show us every bar in Boystown. A blur of alternating martinis, Redbulls, and occasional waters later, we settled into the spinning stupor of our comfy Best Western bed.
We had emerged from Halloween unscathed… yet inexplicably covered in glitter.
Filed under Events, Restaurant
NYC: Sweet Treats on Wheels
New Yorkers are constantly on the go. Why should our food be any different? Food trucks of all varieties continue to expand their customer base by parking their mobile restaurants on the different streets of New York City. From tacos to pizza to dumplings, if you can imagine it, there is probably a truck serving it down the block. But times are tough and IQ likes his sugar, so let’s sweeten our summer with some of the city’s most unique desserts on wheels.
Liege with Ice Cream
First stop, Belgium. Wafels & Dinges brings the Belgian Waffle to our Yankee curbs. Choose the light ‘n crispy Brussels Wafel, or the soft ‘n chewy Liege Wafel, and dress it up with your favorite Dinges (toppings). Go fruity (strawberries, bananas), sugary (dulce de leche, chocolate fudge, maple syrup) or creamy (butter, whipped cream, ice cream). Truck locations are posted on the site, on Twitter @waffletruck or by calling 866.429.7329.
Next, pull up to the bumper for the baby-sized deliciousness of New York’s first mobile, gourmet cupcake shop. When Lev Ekster graduated from law school last year, the job market was…well, pretty sour. But when life gives you lemons…you make a lemon meringue cupcake. Lev assembled a team of bakers, created recipes, and revved the engine of Cupcake Stop, a traveling store of fresh-baked, hand-made cupcakes. Follow the tweets to your sweet treat @cupcakestop.
Gobbler
Our final parker is the brainchild of a classically trained bassoonist with a little soft-serve and a lot of flair. The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck was created by Douglas Quint, a graduate of The Manhattan School of Music and The Juiliard School (and presumably a homosexual). The menu combines traditional soft-serve ice cream with imaginative toppings and funky names. Cool your lips with a Salty Pimp (vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate with dulce de leche and sea salt) or be thankful for the Gobbler (vanilla ice cream with pumpkin butter, crushed graham crackers, whipped cream and craisins). Follow the truck’s location on its site or on Twitter @biggayicecream and top yourself off with some sweet rainbow sprinkles this summer.
(All pictures provided by the vendors)
Filed under Restaurant, U.S.A.
NYC Restaurant Week
Hey New Yorkers, are you hungry?
NYC Restaurant Week allows you to sample three-course, prix-fixe meals at some of the city’s most amazing restaurants for $24.07 at lunchtime and $35 at dinner. From now until September 6, pull up a chair at more than 275 New York City restaurants. Go classy (Le Cirque, Cipriani) or sassy (Nobu, Megu), but don’t forget to make a reservation, as the most popular places fill up fast. For a complete list of this summer’s restaurants, click here.
Filed under Restaurant
Rioja Restaurant Week
D
rink like a bullfighter.
Sip like a flamenco dancer.
May 13-27, 2010 is Rioja Restaurant Week in New York and Chicago. Diners can enjoy a $25 lunch or $35 dinner with a glass of Rioja wine at some of these cities’ greatest restaurants.
The Rioja region of northern Spain spans over 14, 000 acres, roughly the size of Delaware. With vineyards dating back to Roman times, one of Spain’s primary exports is gaining popularity and praise in the States. Explore white or red options, a delicious meal, and sip, drink (or guzzle) a little taste of Spain.
Filed under Events, Restaurant
Fort Lauderdale Steps Into the Spotlight
(Photo of STEAK 954, courtesy of W Hotels)
Every Mary has her Rhoda. Every Marcia has her Jan. For many years, Fort Lauderdale played second fiddle to ever-popular Miami. But with the opening of the Ritz Carlton in August 2008 and the W Hotel in April 2009, Fort Lauderdale is shedding her braces and graduating from finishing school. No better place to experience the transformation than overlooking the beach at the W’s stylish, new restaurant, Steak 954.
Created by Stephen Starr (of New York’s Buddakan fame), Steak 954 infuses the classic steakhouse with a modern, South Florida flair. At dinner, steaks range from an 8 oz. Filet ($35) to a 36 oz. Australian Tajima Kobe Porterhouse ($245). Non-beef-lover options include Butter Poached Maine Lobster (MP), Miso-glazed Black Cod ($27) and Seared Duck Breast ($26). Weekend nights can be a bit of a scene, but the restaurant, with its sleek jellyfish aquarium and outdoor terrace, is successful at accommodating an eclectic mix of guests.
For a more relaxed experience, enjoy the ocean view while sipping a Bloody Mary ($12) during the weekend brunch. Traditional favorites like the Vanilla French Toast and Mushroom & White Cheddar Omelet share the menu with funky breakfast creations like the Short Rib Benedict and Cuban Egg Sandwich with pulled pork, and lunch-sized portions of the dinner entrees (most under $20). Whether you are in the mood for a little “br” or a little “unch” a side order of the Truffle French Fries are a necessary complement to your meal. I promise; you will thank me.
Steak 954 keeps with the slick, modern vibe of the W brand while incorporating the relaxed environment of a beachside café. Fort Lauderdale is slowly but surely cultivating its own kind of casual glam that works well for this friendly beach town. In the last few years, this wallflower has blossomed into a sophisticated, trendy new presence and is enjoying her time in the spotlight.
Filed under Restaurant, U.S.A.
